Bollywood Stars and Celebrities

There are a few actors in the industry of bollywood who have remained etched in the minds of the audience. This has made them some of the best actors of our time. Here are a list of the best bollywood actors for you.

Dilip Kumar- he is one of the few actors who made it big in the industry. He gave bollywood movies the magnum opus of time immemorial- Mughal-e-azam. This is one movie that has shown the tremendous performance of the actor. He has also more than 100 movies in his name and is my all time favorite actor.

Raj kapoor- he is a world wide-known actor and a film maker who has the passion that is needed to do it. He has made and whittled out a brand name which has been held up by three generations now. His children and grand children have followed the same path as his and made history.

Rajesh Khanna- he is one of the best actors in bollywood. He had a fan following that anyone would die for, even his male counterparts. He is known to have received letters written in blood and had a loyal fan base. Is has looks to kill and has been used on the silver screen just to do that.

Dev Anand- he is the finest actor in bollywood and has made a huge amount of contribution to the Indian cinema. His full name of Dharam Dev Anand is known to few today. He is also a film maker and a director and has earned awards for his work. The actor gave a huge hit with Insaniyat in which he worked along-side with Dilip Kumar and also Kala Pani for which he got the best actor award of that year.

Thus, the industry has been producing many actors who have made history and will keep on doing so.

Bollywood stars today are no longer happy to just stay on the big screen. Many have also tried their luck on the small screen with great success. Besides acting in TV series and judging shows, they have also tried their hand at hosting shows. Their onscreen popularity translates into instant buzz and business.

It has become a recent trend in Bollywood for many A-list actors to appear on the small screen. These stars are being seen more on reality and performance shows than on TV serials. Their visibility on these shows enhances profits and viewership for channels and the stars in turn reach out to a bigger audience.

Salman Khan who has hosted quite a few editions of Bigg Boss hosted the seventh edition of Bigg Boss too. It became a major hit in India and raked up many controversies that made headlines.

To Salman, a TV show gives a chance for the audience to see the actors in a completely different light, a far cry from their characters in Bollywood movies. “For any actor, the real heroes are his fans. So, by doing a TV show, my audiences get to see the real Salman. Isn’t this (TV) a better reward for me?” he said. Sana Khan, one of the contestants in Bigg Boss 6, bagged a major role in Salman’s upcoming movie Jai Ho. Her spat with a rival contestant won Salman’s heart. When Salman was looking for an innocent yet aggressive character in Jai Ho he felt that Sana would fit the bill.

Amitabh Bachchan hosted the mega game show Kaun Banega Crorepati which went on to create history on the small screen. There were impulsive reactions to the show and it grabbed even more eyeballs when for the first time a female was handed the crorepati title.

Television has become so big that Bollywood’s superstar Shah Rukh Khan admits that an actor’s success today is not measured merely by box office profits, but his association with a TV show. “Today stardom is not about awards and box office numbers, but about who has a bigger TV show. So I am trying to do something. I have told Punit and the Zee family to look out for something for me,” the actor said.

Shah Rukh started his career on the small screen with the show Fauji followed by Circus in 1989. “The TV audience is very big and I also started with TV and I respect the medium a lot. Television is a great platform for every actor and actress. I would love to participate in it whenever given a chance,” he added.

Ajit Thakur, business head, Sony Entertainment Television says: “Shows like KBC and Bigg Boss are as big as films. The reach TV gives today is far wider than the film release on a weekend. And the remuneration is also high. All these factors make stars host TV shows.”

The Hindi film industry is seeing a rising number of promising actors. Many upcoming Bollywood movies feature young talent over established actors since their films often do well at the box office. Also, movies with youthful themes require youthful actors. There is now a breed of ‘gen next’ actors who have made the cut in mainstream Hindi cinema.

Bollywood’s much loved chocolate boy, Shahid Kapoor initially looked like a one hit wonder with Ishq Vishk Pyaar Vyaar in 2003. There followed a string of flops until he struck gold with Jab We Met, in which he starred along side Kareena Kapoor. The promising young actor showed he could hold his own in the critically acclaimed hit Kaminey. He is starring in lead roles in upcoming Hindi movies Milenge Milenge (with Kareena Kapoor)and in his father’s directorial debut Mausam (with Sonam Kapoor).

Debonair and charismatic, Ranbir Kapoor, the son of veteran actor Rishi Kapoor and Neetu Singh scored zero with his first outing Saawariya in 2007. However, he did manage to pick up the Filmfare Best Male Debut Award for his role in the movie. His next offering Bachna Ae Haseeno did fairly well at the box office and found favor among film critics. Wake Up Sid and Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani were commercially successful although both films met with mixed responses. His 2010 projects include the recently released Rajneeti and Anjaana Anjaani with Priyanka Chopra.

Although he is mostly in the news for his unusual pick of films, Abhay Deol is certainly a promising Bollywood actor. Not quite the typical Bollywood hero, his chosen debut vehicle was Socha Na Tha in 2005. The film did not garner much enthusiasm with the public. The 2008 film Oye Lucky Lucky Oye was a smash hit and fetched rave reviews for his offbeat performance. Anurag Kashyap’s Dev D further established that Abhay Deol was an upcoming Bollywood actor to look out for. He will be seen in upcoming Bollywood movies Rajshri Ojha’s Aisha and Zoya Akhtar’s Running with the Bulls.

2008 was the year of inane comedies and theme oriented movies. Quality was appreciated and slapstick humor were digested without a burp. On one hand, we had the inane, slapstick comedies like Golmaal Returns and Singh is Kinng as big hits, there were also few surprises in the form of Aamir, Mumbai Meri Jaan and A Wednesday. This triumvirate of theme based movies, based on terror acts and bomb blasts were high on quality and appreciated by both the critics and the masses. A Wednesday particularly stood out for its engaging dialogues and script sense. Towards the end of the year, the two Khans dominated the Bollywood scene. While Shahrukh Khan scored with Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, Aamir Khan’s Ghajini became the biggest hit of the year, raking in as much as whopping Rs. 33 crores world wide in the first day itself. At the point of writing, Ghajini is still riding very strongly and hopes to reach the magical figure of Rs. 100 crores in three weeks.

Among the guys, the year did not belong to one particular actor like it did for Akshay Kumar in 2007. The biggies Akshay Kumar (Singh is Kinng), Shahrukh Khan (Rab Ne), Hrithik Roshan (Jodhaa Akbar), Saif Ali Khan (Race) and Aamir Khan (Ghajini) had all one hit each. Oops, one big name is missing. Ah! there you are: Salman Khan. Salman had a bad year professionally. Two of his movies, God Tussi Great Ho and Yuvvraaj, flopped miserably at the box office.

Among the veterans, Naseeruddin Shah had a good year with two big hits, A Wednesday and Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. Amitabh Bachchan did not have a good 2008 with God Tussi Great Ho, Bhootnath and the Last Lear not doing well. The only saving grace was an average Sarkar Raj. But his box office status is unfazed. Son Abhishek Bachchan had a mega flop in the form of Drona and a semi hit in the form of Dostana. John Abraham also had Dostana to his credit while Emran Hashmi was safe and secure with Jannat doing well. Ajay Devgan had a disastrous directorial debut U,Me aur Hum in which he acted. Fortunately, he had one hit Golmaal Returns to his credit. Shreyas Talpade had two hits in the form of Golmaal Returns and Welcome to Sajjanpur. Shahid Kapur had to be content with an above average Kismet Konnection.

Among the girls, perhaps no one suffered so much professionally as Priyanka Chopra. In the same vein, we can say perhaps no one benefited as much in 2008 as Priyanka Chopra. Priyanka Chopra starred in four of the worst flops of 2008: Love Story 2050, Drona, God Tussi Great Ho and Chamku. However a strong performance oriented role in Fashion, turned the tide for heels. Following close on the heels of Fashion, was Dostana. Priyanka Chopra had an average year in 2008. Kareena Kapoor looked hot and sexy in 2008, but her size zero figure could not save Tashan from being the worst film of 2008. Kareena Kapoor was able to salvage some glory in Golmaal Returns. Minissha Lamba donned a sexy avatar which did not help Kidnap at all. However, she achieved some solace in Bachna Ae Haseeno. Deepika Padukone had one hit, as well in the form of Bachna Ae Haseeno. Rani Mukherjee and Amisha Patel, both flopped again this year with their only film Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic losing out. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan had a hit in Jodhaa Akbar while Katrina Kaif scored in Race and Singh is Kinng. Her other movie Yuvvraaj sank without a trace. Vidya Balan had a semi hit in Kismet Konnection. Bipasha Basu, arguably, the sexiest actress of 2008, is the only actress with 100 percent success rate. The oomphilicious Bipasha Basu, sexy and sassy had two hits, Race and Bachna Ae Haseeno to her credit.

There were two South Indian beauties who appeared in Bollywood, one in a changed avatar and the other making a fresh appearance. Genelia D’Souza who had previously starred in Masti, years ago, starred in Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na, the youth hit, as a teeny bopper. Her fantastic performance and cute looks earned her a legion of fans. Asin, another southern sensation debuted in the biggest Bollywood hit of 2008, Ghajini. Asin’s performance is being widely appreciated. The other list of female newcomers in Bollywood include: Anushka Sharma (Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi), Sonal Chauhan (Jannat) and Adah Sharma (1920).

Among the guys making debut in Bollywood, Imran Khan, nephew of Aamir Khan had a fantastic debut in one of the biggest hits of 2008, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. However he couldn’t follow it up with his second movie Kidnap biting the dust. Another new comer, Harman Baweja, Priyanka Chopra’s boyfriend, starred in one of the worst films of 2008, Love Story 2050. Incidentally both Jaane Tu and Lovestory 2050, released on the same day. Rajneesh Duggal debuted in 1920 while Mithun Chakraborthy’s son Mimmoh had a pathetic flop in the form of Jimmy, as his debut film. Here’s hoping 2009 sees better movies, better performances and better surprises!

Presenting the countdown of the sexiest Bollywood actresses of 2008. Women like Amisha Patel, Minissha Lamba, Kareena Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra shed a lot of weight to become slim and slender, because the producers of their films wanted the girls to be slimmer(it is another thing that films most of them starred in, had scripts slimmer than their bodies). Nevertheless, the slim and athletic look was the trend setter this year.

10. Sonal Chauhan in Jannat: The sexier version of Amrita Rao, Sonal Chauhan looked lissome, lithe and leggy in her debut film. Lucky boy Emran Hashmi however had did not get much to kiss as the sultry Sonal Chauhan played too cool to love and too hot to kiss in Jannat.

9. Mughda Godse in Fashion: Fashion had more style and less substance going for in. The tall and slender Mughda Godse vowed the audience with her sexy, traffic stopping presence. Making her debut in Bollywood, Mughda was one female who looked really comfortable in her dress and skin. And yes, we love her confidence!

8. Mallika Sherawat in Ugly aur Pagli: Mallika Sherawat was dressed(shocking!) throughout Ugly aur Pagli. She revealed her awesome contours and curves in one of the songs and that mattered more than enough to get an eyesome in the plotless stupid Ugly aur Pagli.

7. Amisha Patel in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic: The normally voluptuous Amisha Patel shed her clothes to show off that even she has a toned midriff in Thoda Pyaar Thoda Magic. Though the movie disappeared faster than Amisha Patel could say “yellow, main aa gayee”, Amisha Patel look hot enough to spend some ‘lazy lamhe’ with.

6. Minissha Lamba in Kidnap: Minissha Lamba revealed two things in Kidnap: hot cleavage and cool attitude. But both could not salvage the insipid movie Kidnap. However we were left panting for more as Minissha seduced the audiences with those skimpy outfits.

5. Shilpa Shetty in Dostana: Easily the woman with the best figure in Bollywood, Shilpa Shetty’s yoga bound sexy body looked ‘wow-some’ as she sizzled in the opening number of Dostana. All we can say is Shut up and Drool!

What about the remaining top 5? For the creamy, tantalizing top 5 sexiest actress of Bollywood 2008, go to my blog below.

V.S.ARUNRAJ, in his entertaining blog Hot Girls of Bollywood gives a low-down on some of the most beautiful and glamorous babes of Bollywood.

The world’s movie wealth is not Hollywood but Bollywood. Bollywood is the nickname for the Indian film production situated in Mumbai.

Indians are in love with movies, even though most films follow a similar format called collection of spices. Movies are three to four hours long (and include an interval), include dozens of songs and dances, top stars, the story between the songs of boy meets girl, lots of action, and always – a happy ending.

Fourteen million Indians go to the movies on a daily basis (about 1.4% of the population of 1 billion) and pay the comparable to the average Indian’s day’s wages (US $1-3) to see any of the over 800 films churned out by Bollywood each year. That’s more than double the number of feature films produced in the Hollywood.

The public’s curiosity in Hollywood actresses and other celebrities is not a recent trend. Magazines have provided reporting of Hollywood actresses for decades, chronicling their performances and contribution a glance into their lives. Actresses who starred in movies back when they were called “talkies” have all awestruck the public. Film buffs attracted in learning more about these Hollywood actresses can do more than just watch the films in which they starred: They can also learn about who they were outside of their characters by reading articles in magazine archives.

When these Hollywood actresses shot to fame, magazine articles often focused on their early lives, before they entered the public eye. In addition to offering biographies of Hollywood actresses and stars, these articles also discussed their performances and critiqued their films. Though many magazines offer admittance to their archives online, these archives may not go back far enough to cover the time of early Hollywood actresses.

Infrequently, some fans may come across old issues of periodicals like Film Spectator and Photoplay Magazine at garage or estate sales, but often they are at a loss for primary sources.

Usually when we think of natural beauty we think of someone without makeup. Did you know that your natural beauty can be enhanced by using natural beauty products? That is: makeup and cosmetic products that are 100% natural and organic. Unfortunately most of the makeup that women wear is full of harmful toxins and chemicals. Makeup products and skincare products containing these actually can do more to harm the skin than enhance natural beauty.

You have probably heard it said that “…if looks could kill…”. For many years women have been led to believe that in order to look beautiful they have to wear makeup. Most large cosmetic companies market their products so that you feel that you can’t live without them. Who of us hasn’t seen a commercial and thought: “I would like to look like that”. This leads many women to put beauty first rather than health. Of course we all want to fit in and be accepted – but at what cost. Just think how much the makeup industry affects our thinking: How many films have you seen when the actress awakes in the morning without any makeup on? Probably not very many. So women start thinking that they have to look like this. Then their partners also start thinking the same. Then there is the other extreme. The terms ‘natural’ and ‘organic’ still have a stigma attached to them, and so many think that buying natural organic makeup products is only something for hippies.

Beauty though is all relative. You could say that it is skin-deep. Fashions also change. For example, what was fashionable in the 80’s would look pretty ridiculous in today. It used to be the fashion that women would have white skin – this showed that they were rich and didn’t have to spend a lot of time outdoors. Now the fashion is to have a tanned skin, which is to show the same – we’ve got a lot of money for recreation and exotic holidays. We have been led to believe that a tanned skin is a healthy skin. Actually that could not be further from the truth. A tanned skin is actually a damaged skin.

Culture also plays a part in what is acceptable and what is not. Coco Channel is quoted as saying: “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street, fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” For example in Burma is desirable for women to wear neck rings to elongate their necks. It is also reported that tourism is to blame for this because they are a popular attraction for tourists. In China feet biding used to be popular. (This is a practice whereby children’s feet are bound to prevent further growth). The results were deformed feet. So we have to ask ourselves – how much of our thinking is being dictated by the media, culture and our peers? If you lived in China in the late 1800’s would you have had your children feet bound? Even if it meant you being different and being rejected as a ‘poor person’ or someone of a ‘lower social class’?

During the last few years many studies have been carried out which show that most of the commercially available makeup products on the market contain dangerous levels of toxic chemicals and other irritants. Just take a look at the ingredients of any makeup or skincare product. How much of is sounds natural and how much of sound like you need a degree in chemistry to understand it? Even if you could understand everything that is listed under ingredients the cosmetic industry still hide toxic ingredients behind innocent sounding labels. For example: ‘scent’. Seems harmless enough, but the ‘scent’ could contain hundreds of different chemical combinations. Sometimes you have to wonder if the makeup products have been produced for putting on your skin or cleaning your car engine.

It’s also worth noting that many of the commercially available makeup products actually cause skin irritations and allergies. Even some of the so-called cures for eczema or acne actually aggravate the skin and can make it worse.

Natural organic products are manufactured in such a way that they do not cause harm to humans or animals. They are biodegradable these organic and natural products are great for the environment as well.

By using natural organic makeup you will enhance your appearance and at the same time actually care for the health of your body and skin. In the long term, using natural organic makeup and skin care products will maintain a healthy balance in your body thereby improving your natural beauty and reducing the need for using too much cosmetics.

How is this so? Let’s examine one example. Did you know that drinking enough water moisturizes your skin? It also has many other ‘side-effects’, it keeps us healthier, improves metabolism, reduces headaches, and if we talk about makeup products, reduces the need to use so much moisturizer. All from something that comes free out the faucet. Think about this: whatever we put on our skin is absorbed by our body. Did you ever wonder where the skin cream went after you applied it? Yes, into our body and some of it is even metabolizes by the internal organs. If you use only products that are organic and contain natural ingredients you will help to keep your skin healthy.

Natural beauty will help you look beautiful naturally. Don’t risk your health for the sake of fashion. It’s been done in the past and many women are still paying the price. What will be the cost of using makeup products that are full of toxic chemicals? Already studies are showing that some of these chemicals are turning up in different cancers. While a definite link has to be proved, it is alarming that cancers seem to be on the rise the more we are using chemicals.

Natural makeup products are widely available and by using them you will not have ‘looks to die for’. They are just as effective as their toxic counterparts – but without the health risks. Remember also to care for you health by what you eat. You naturally look more beautiful when you are in good health and natural makeup product will enhance your natural beauty